MPs unveil stance towards cancellation of NATO exercises

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 15 2004

MPs unveiled their attitude towards the cancellation of NATO exercises
in Baku in a Tuesday meeting of the Milli Majlis (parliament).

Although most of the parliamentarians assessed the cancellation of
the exercises as Azerbaijan’s victory, some of them expressed their
disappointment.

Sattar Safarov said that the matter is that the Azerbaijani public
has protested against the planned visit by Armenian officers to Baku
but not against holding NATO exercises. «NATO was to hold exercises
in Baku without the participation of Armenian military men who have
occupied Azerbaijan’s lands,» Safarov stressed.

Expressing his attitude to the issue, Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov
underlined that Azerbaijan succeeded in the failure of the criminal
Armenian officers, who fought in Upper Garabagh, to visit Baku.
Noting that Azerbaijan won’t make any compromises to Armenians on the
settlement of the Garabagh conflict, Alasgarov said that his country
was adherent to peaceful resolution of the conflict.*